System for remote monitoring of tower lighting system

Claim 2

Apparatus for remote monitoring of a lighting system for a tower including flashing beacon lights and continuously burning obstruction lights comprising: first logic circuit means responsive to a plurality of said beacon lights for generating a first signal representative of said beacon lights being operative and flashing; second logic circuit means responsive to a plurality of said obstruction lights for generating a second signal representative of said obstruction lights being on; conversion circuit means receiving said first signal and said second signal for generating an output signal assuming one of a plurality of states including a first signal state when both said first and second signals are present, a second signal state when only said first signal is present, a third signal state when only said second signal is present, and a fourth signal state when neither said first nor second signal levels is present; and means for transmitting said output signal of said conversion circuit to a remote location.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means at said remote location responsive to said received output signal states for detecting the same upon reception.

Claim 4

The system of claim 1 wherein said first logic circuit means comprises AND gate means having an input sense line for each of said plurality of beacon lights, the signal on said sense lines being ONE when its associated beacon light is lit and being ZERO when it is not lit; and monostable circuit means responsive to said AND gate means for generating an output signal for a predetermined time after said AND gate means generates a ONE output signal representative of the flashing of all beacon lights associated therewith, said output signal of said monostable circuit lasting for a time at least as great as the normal flashing period of said beacon lights, whereby the output signal of said monostable circuit will remain a ONE as long as all of said beacon lights are lit under normal operation.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising third logic circuit means including an OR gate receiving a plurality of sense lines from said obstruction lights and a plurality of separate sense lines from said beacon lights for generating a third logic signal representative of any one of said sense obstruction lights or beacon lights beint lit; fourth logic circuit means receiving sense lines from a plurality of said beacon lights for generating a fourth timed logic signal only when one of said sensed beacon lights is turned on, said fourth output signal lasting for a time at least as long as the normal flashing period of said beacon lights; and second signal conversion means receiving said tHird logic signal and said fourth logic signal for generating a second output signal and transmitting the same to a second channel to said remote location, said second output signal being in a first state when both said third and fourth logic circuit means are actuated, a second state when only said third logic circuit means and not said fourth logic circuit means is actuated, and a third state when neither said third nor fourth logic circuit means is actuated.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the uppermost light is a flashing beacon light, and further comprising fifth logic circuit means responsive to said uppermost light and to a plurality of other lights on said tower for generating an alarm signal only when said uppermost beacon light is not lit and at least one other light on said tower is lit; and means for transmitting said alarm signal to said remote location.

Claim 7

In a system for remote monitoring of warning lights on a tower including a plurality of continuously lighted obstruction lights spaced at different elevations and a plurality of beacon lights spaced at different elevations and periodically lit by a flasher means, each of said lights having an associated sense wire for indicating whether the light is on, the improvement comprising: first gate circuit means responsive to said sense lines associated with said beacon lights and including monostable circuit means for generating an output signal of a duration longer than a flashing cycle for generating a first signal representative of all of said beacon lights being lighted with normal frequency; second AND gate circuit means receiving the sense lines associated with said obstruction lights for generating a second signal only when all of said obstruction lights are lighted; and signal conversion circuit means responsive to said first signal and said second signal for generating an output signal, said output signal being a first level when said first and said second signals are both ONES, said output signal being a second level when said first signal is a ONE and said second signal is a ZERO, said output signal being a third level when said first signal is a ZERO and said second signal is a ONE, and said output signal being a fourth level when both said first and second signals are ZEROs.

Claim 8

In a system for remote monitoring of warning lights on a tower including a plurality of continuously lighted obstruction lights spaced at different elevations and a plurality of beacon lights spaced at different elevations and periodically lit by a flasher means, each of said lights having an associated sense wire for indicating whether the light is on, the improvement comprising: first gate circuit means responsive to said sense lines associated with said beacon lights and including monostable circuit means for generating an output signal of a duration longer than a flashing cycle for generating a first signal representative of all of said beacon lights being lighted with normal frequency; second AND gate circuit means receiving the sense lines associated with said obstruction lights for generating a second signal only when all of said obstruction lights are lighted; and signal conversion circuit means responsive to said first signal and said second signal for generating an output signal, said output signal being a first level when said first and said second signals are both ONES, said output signal being a second level when said first signal is a ONE and said second signal is a ZERO, said output signal being a third level when said first signal is a ZERO and said second signal is a ONE, and said output signal being a fourth level when both said first and second signals are ZEROs.

Claim 9

The system of claim 6 further comprising OR gate means receiving a plurality of said sense lines of said obstruction lights and a plurality of said sense lines of said beacon lights for generating a third signal when any one of said sensed obstruction lights or any one of said sensed beacon lights is on; logic circuit means responsive to a plurality of said sense lines of said beacon lights for generating a third signal comprising a pulse of predetermined length greater than the normal flashing cycle of said beacon lights when any one of said sensed beacon lights is flashing; and second signal conversion means responsive to said third signal and said fourth signal for generating a second output signal, said second output signal being a first level when said third and said fourth signals are ONES, said second output signal being a second level when said third signal is a ONE and said fourth signal is a ZERO, said second output signal being a third level when both of said third and fourth signals are ZEROs.

Claim 10

The system of claim 6 wherein each of said first and second output signals are transmittdd to a remote location over separate channels, said system further comprising an analog meter at the remote location for detecting the signal level of each of said channels.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the uppermost light is a flashing beacon light, and further comprising fifth logic circuit means responsive to said uppermost light and to a plurality of other lights on said tower for generating an alarm signal only when said uppermost beacon light is not lit and at least one other light on said tower is lit; and means for transmitting said alarm signal to said remote location.